Draco Saves a Life
by megenta
Summary: Why Draco wondered up to that tower in the middle of the night, he had no clue. Yet, what would unfold from his seemingly pointless stroll would change his life. He didn't know if it was for better or worse.
1. Chapter 1

I climbed to the top of the tower. I had never been this far. Nor had I ever been out of the dorms after curfew. I was always unnoticed. Always unnamed. I was a gryffindor that hid in the shadows. I had seen Harry Potter, but never had we spoken. I had watched Hermione study in the library, but never had I studied with her. I had heard Ron joking with his brothers, but never had I joined them. I was unheard. I was unnamed.

Now I stood at the top of a tower that belonged to the infamous Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, pondering what I should do next. The wind whipped my hair wildly about my face as I paced around the roof, unsure of myself. Had I really come up here to jump? Had I really believed I would end it tonight?

There was a fumbling noise and I turned to see a shadowy figure. I squinted and with as much courage as possible whispered "Who are you?" The wind carried the person's answer away from my ears. "Who are you!" I yelled once more. Then the figure stepped forward and my mind reeled. Draco Malfoy stood there looking at me.

"What are you doing up here? It's cold and windy, you're likely to fall off if you aren't careful." But this wasn't said in Draco's normal sneer. It was said with what could be called caring. He took a step forward and I took a step back, bumping into the low wall that ran along the edge of the tower.

"P-p-please. Go away." I was terrified. I had heard of Draco's bitter personality, his steely demeanor, and his ability to make any situation ten times worse. He was likely to talk me into jumping off the side of this bloody tower.

He tilted his head to the side, "Lorelei, was it? What are you doing up here?" He took another slow step toward me, his brow was furrowed and his mouth was tilted down in a frown. He looked… Worried. Then I realized that he had known my name. We had had several classes together but of course I had never spoken to him, thinking I was invisible to the people around me. "We're in the same grade, right? We have Herbology together. Potions too, correct?"

All I could do was stare at him. Not only did he know my name but he knew what grade I was in and that we had classes together. I shook my head in a silent nod. I was too terrified to speak and too astounded to think of a verbal reply. He kept taking tiny steps closer to me. "Draco. P-please, I don't want trouble."

He snickered, "It would seem you've already found yourself in trouble. I suppose I have too since I'm out of bed and also standing outside on the top of a tower. What are you doing up here anyhow?"

I remembered what I had come up here to do and looked over the side guiltily. Draco seemed to read my thought and I heard him sigh. "You know," He said coming to lean on the wall beside me, "I had a friend, back before I came to Hogwarts, he had a terrible time. Did what I suspect you came up here to do. He did it with a spell though." The look on Draco's face was grim and his voice was hard and cold as he told me what had happened. "Idiot. That's all he was. Didn't know what he had." But i could see his eyes get glasses and the moonlight reflected off the wetness of his cheek.

I turned and leaned on the wall beside him. "You knew my name." It was a statement that didn't require an answer, but I wanted him to find one.

"Of course I did. You're second ranked in both Herbology and Potions." He snickered "I'd bet you could give Granger a run for her money." His face grew serious again and he looked at me coldly. "You're terribly selfish for coming up here to kill yourself"

I bit my lip and looked over the side, down, down, down, to the ground below. "You don't understand. You have Crabbe and Goyle.." I trailed off thinking about how stupid both of those blokes were.

Draco grabbed my arm, "Lorelei, please come down."

I jerked away from him and slid on top of the wall. "You don't understand! I don't have anyone! I'm the unnamed girl! I'm in the same house as Harry Potter and I've never even talked to him!"

Draco's face twisted into one of disgust. "Potter is nothing but a waste of…" He trailed off. "Lorelei, you're worth more than Potter. Please. Come down."

I looked at him. The sincerity in his face made me look away. Why would Draco Malfoy, the biggest bully at Hogwarts, be trying to keep me from committing suicide. This didn't add up. "Why are you even here _Malfoy_? Is this all part of your plan? Bring me down from here just to get me detention? Or to torture me throughout class? Well no thanks I'll take my chances on falling off the side of this tower." I stood up and looked over the edge. Now was the perfect time to do it, if there ever was a perfect time. I took one step over the edge.

"LORELEI NOOOO!" Draco screamed over the edge watching me fall.

I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact. The impact that never came. I opened my eyes and saw that I was only a few feet from the ground. Not only had I not hit the ground but I was slowly being lifted up. Back up to the roof, where Draco was holding his wand and looking very sweaty. He lifted me over the wall and i dropped lightly onto the roof of the tower. Draco sank to his knees in front of me, chest heaving from the effort. " What - in - blimey - hell-" He had to stop from lack of breath. "Stupid - girl - trying - to - save - you - I - _like_ \- you-" Draco passed out and fell to the ground. I sat up and looked at him. He liked me? Draco Malfoy was capable of anything other than dislike and disgust? He never even _talked_ to me, how could he like me?

I crawled over and cradled his head in my lap, brushed the blonde hair out of his face, and looked up at the sky. There was nothing to do now but wait for him to wake up.


	2. Chapter 2

I was not planning on writing a second chapter but here I am. In my first chapter I noticed an error and am unsure of how to fix it. Slytherins and Gryffindors do not have Herbology together. Please forgive me, I have righted my wrong in this chapter and I hope you enjoy

Draco Saves a Life Chapter 2

Draco took Forever to wake up. Whatever spell he had performed to save my life must have been far more powerful than what a fifth year student should be doing. I studied his face as he slept, wondering what would happen once he woke up. His hair was shiny at the roots from sweat and he would occasionally furrow his brow in his sleep. I have no clue how long I sat with his head in my lap but I was vaguely aware that my legs had gone numb.

Finally, as the sun was beginning to rise, he stirred. "Lorelei?" he asked hoarsely. My voice caught in my throat and for a moment I couldn't speak. Would he remember what he had said? I began to doubt that he had ever said it at all and that maybe I had just imagined it from the adrenaline of the moment.

"Y-yes?" I mumbled. Refusing to look Draco in the eye.

He sat up quickly and my stomach dropped. He turned his steely gaze on me and for the first time since I came to Hogwarts I wished I was invisible. I refused to look at him and for a bit I didn't think he was going to speak but his cold voice began "Lorelei, do you even realize what you were about to do?"

Draco's voice ignited a fire in me. I jumped up and looked down on him. "You don't know anything! Don't try to sit up here and lecture me like you know me. You don't! You've never even spoken to me! I don't mean anything to anyone! Let alone Draco Malfoy"

As I had spoken Draco had stood up and brushed himself off. Once again he turned his cold stare on me. "You stupid girl, if you didn't mean anything to me I wouldn't have come up this tower after you. And I definitely wouldn't have kept you from killing yourself." He looked down and I thought for a moment he had looked hurt. "Next time. Before you go on saying you're not important, or that you're invisible, you should stop and look around to see who is looking at you. Looking out for you." When he looked up again there was no longer any hurt on his face. He had smoothed his face over to be a passive mask. Then without another word he strutted away from me, off the roof, and out of sight. Lorelei stood on the roof for a few minutes before hurrying down from the tower and to the dining hall.

The golden plates and goblets and mounds of food were less than appetizing to me. My mind was filled with a million thoughts as I replayed the scene from the night before and this morning in my head. Draco's words running over me, making me shiver from time to time. Embarrassment gripped my stomach when I thought of what I had said. I mentally kicked myself for jumping to conclusions as I walked to My Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

I hardly paid attention to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Nor did I pay attention to any of my other classes, until I reached Potions. I had been both dreading and looking forward to this class. Although Professor Snape always made me dread Potions, I had another reason now. Draco. Who I immediately saw when I walked through the door. He was talking to Crabbe and had his back to me. Lowering my eyes, I made my way to my seat. Then, sitting down, I felt eyes on me and I looked up to meet the cold grey eyes of Draco Malfoy. Unable to look away I stared, until the trance was broken by a student who passed between us. I looked down and was sure I was an atrocious shade of red. Then class started and all attention was on Professor Snape as he made his rounds, barking out criticisms to the Gryffindors and praising the Slytherins. He complimented Draco and I could swear Draco's eyes were on me as it happened.

After class I hurried out, almost immediately I was bumped into. I looked up and my stomach turned to stone. Draco, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. He looked at me and I thought he was going to apologize or say something nice, then his face hardened. "Get out of my way next time." He mumbled and pushed past me. I stood in the hallway, letting the traffic flow around me, as I watched him go.


	3. Chapter 3

Draco Saves a Life Chapter 3

Later that night I lay in bed, fighting the urge to cry. Draco had said he liked me just one night ago, yet if you looked at his actions… Well, they said something different. Rolling over I stared up at the ceiling, my thoughts turning back to the thoughts of the tower. Would Draco come and save me a second time? I scoffed and rolled my eyes. Yeah right, he probably wants me to go jump off the highest tower and become a pancake. I closed my eyes tight and waited for sleep.

I dreamed of a boy with grey, piercing eyes that could see through me. He could see through my mask and my emotional walls, but he could also look through me and not see me at all.

The next morning when I woke up it took everything I had to get out of bed. The dream from the night before clouded my mind through breakfast and was shattered when I was walking to Herbology. I saw Draco and my stomach did an unpleasant flip. I ducked into the nearest classroom, which luckily was empty, and waited. The door slowly opened and I pressed myself to the wall behind it, too afraid to even breathe. After what seemed like an eternity the door slowly shut again and I let out a small sigh.

"What are you doing?" I let out a small squeal and clamped my hands to mouth. I knew that voice and lowered my eyes.

"Hey Draco." I mumbled, refusing to look away from his feet. "I was just leaving." I reached for the door handle but Draco grabbed my wrist.

"Please don't leave yet. I haven't had a chance to talk to you." He looked sad almost when he said this.

"You've had plenty of chances." I said, harsher than I meant to. Draco's face twisted into what could have been hurt but I didn't let him answer. I ripped open the door and ran out into the hallway.

"Lorelei, wait!" But I refused. I ran through the corridors as fast as I could, not stopping until I collapsed into my seat.

Herbology passed too quickly for my liking. I didn't want to run into Draco again. I didn't want to know what he wanted to say to me. It seemed like Draco couldn't make up his mind if he wanted to be friendly with me or absolutely terrible to me. Yet, I had to step out into the hallway and make it to my next class. I stuck close to groups of people I didn't even know, gaining looks of confusion and discomfort, and praying that Draco didn't see me.

Luckily, I was able to duck into my next class without seeing Draco at all. I made my way to my seat in the back and sat down. My muscles relaxed and I smiled, leaning back into my seat, I waited on the lesson to start.

After class I was not as lucky as I was before. Draco and his goons were walking through the hallway and I was caught in the middle. Draco's cold eyes fixated on me and a chill went down my spine. This would not be one of our nicer meetings.

"Hey, mudblood," Draco sneered. He went to say something else but I didn't register it. My entire body had locked up and my brain was reeling. That settled it. Malfoy definitely did not like me. Being called a mudblood was the worst thing you could call someone. It meant that you were below the "pure-blooded" The ones who came from generations of magic. Mudbloods were like me. Came from normal families, with no magic before you.

Before I could think I had launched myself at Draco, knocking him down. I swung punches, reveling in the crunch of cartilage and the thump of knuckles against flesh. Then I was being pulled away and my senses came back to me. There was yelling and the sound of footsteps running. I looked up and Professor Snape was holding me by the back of my robes.

Then I looked at Draco. I had obviously broken his nose and both his eyes were turning black. My stomach lurched and I fell to my knees, trying to keep from puking all over Professor Snape's nice robes and boots. What had I done? My head spun. A million thoughts whirled around in my head. He had called me a mudblood and I had completely lost it. Draco deserved what he got, didn't he? Yet, I felt so guilty I was ill. I knew why, but I refused to say it or even think it until later that night.

I was laying in my dorm, listening to my roommates sleep. I had luckily not been expelled for my actions but I lost 150 points for Gryffindor in one night. Inevitably making me the most hated person for the next two weeks. My stomach was still lurching at the thought of Draco and what I had done to him. Only now did I let myself think of why. I liked Draco. The only thing I could find to like about him was that he saved my life, there wasn't much else to like about him. He was rude, and cold, and cocky. I clenched my sheets in my hands. _Why_ did I like him? I punched my pillow and tried to push Draco out of my mind so I could sleep.

The next morning wasn't all that unpleasant. I was used to being invisible to the people around me so their anger and ignoring had little effect on me. I ate breakfast in silence, I walked to class with no one. I saw Draco in the hall once and he must have gone to the infirmary because his nose was straight again and there was little puffiness or bruising.

Once, I nearly jumped out of my skin, when a Hufflepuff from Herbology patted me on the shoulder and smiled. "That Malfoy had it coming, didn't he?" I just stared at him and watched him walk away. My stomach lurched again as I thought of Draco's swollen, bruised, bloodied face. No. He didn't deserve it.

After class I looked for Draco. I wanted to run into him. I wanted to pull him aside, just me and him and apologize. I doubted it would go over well but I wanted to do it nonetheless. Lost in my thoughts I hadn't paid attention and was grabbed and pulled into an empty classroom. The door shut and I turned around to find none other than Draco. He was alone. I automatically launched into my apology.

"Draco, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I lost control. I don't even know what I was thinking, I-" Draco covered my mouth with a strong hand, cutting me off.

"Lorelei, I deserved what you gave me." His face was unreadable and I hated it. "From now on, I stay away from you, you stay away from me," His voice caught in his throat and he had to compose himself. "That's the deal." He said it so I knew that I didn't have a choice and I could feel my heart ripping inside of my chest.

"Draco…" I begun but he turned from me and left the room, not saying another word and refusing to hear another.


	4. Chapter 4

Draco Saves a Life Ch. 4

The next few days were awful. I didn't like Draco picking on me but I didn't like him pretending that I didn't exist even more. We would pass in the corridors and Draco wouldn't look at me, he even made it a point to stay as far from me as the hall would allow.

Other students seemed to catch onto this and would walk next to me, talking about random things while giving Draco nasty looks. No one had noticed me for five years until now. I used to wish for people to know my name, to talk to me. Now I just wanted them to leave me alone. I wanted them to leave me alone and for Draco to bother me. I chuckled to myself at the irony of this.

"Alright, well I'll see you around!" A girl with ash brown hair waved at me and hurried off to class. Who was she? I think she might have been a Hufflepuff.

I made my way to Transfiguration class with my head down low. I didn't want anyone to talk to me. I just wanted everyone to disappear except Draco. I needed to talk to him and try to rebuild the bridge that I had so easily burned. I was beginning to think myself into a foul mood when Professor McGonagall started her lesson. Luckily, I was unable to think of anything beside the work she gave us. After copying a very brutal series of notes we were tasked with turning a dinner plate into a mushroom. My mushroom was poisonous and dead

After Transfiguration class there was a break. I walked in the corridors and searched for Draco, ignoring anyone who would try to talk to me. I saw a white-blonde head duck into the library, Crabbe and Goyle lumbering in the other direction. My stomach jumped in excitement. I ran to the library and looked around, praying that I could find Draco. Sure enough Draco was sitting at a table in the corner. The air in my throat caught and I froze. He wasn't alone. He was sitting at the table with a Slytherin girl. I ducked behind a bookshelf and looked through the gaps at them. The girl had straight brown hair and a high pitched voice. Draco and the girl leaned in so their heads were almost touching. I could hear them both laughing. This was why Draco wanted me to stay away. Why he wanted to stay away.

I turned and fled the library, not looking back. My eyes stung and I found it hard to breathe. My mind repeated one thing over and over. Draco, Draco, Draco, Draco. My vision blurred and I hardly made it to my dorm before my tears overflowed. I didn't go to any classes for the rest of the day.

My roommates arrived too soon, I rolled over and faced the wall so none of them could see my face. No one asked if I was okay. But they soon started talking. "Did you see them?" one girl asked. I think her name was Katie.

"Who?" Another girl named Alicia asked. She drew out the who so it was " _Whoooooooo?"_

Lily snickered "Draco and _Flora_ "

My stomach lurched and I bit down on my lip. Don't puke, please. I couldn't take this. I couldn't listen to them talk about him. I got up and ghosted out of the room. No one asked me where I was going. Nor did they acknowledge me at all. I walked through the corridors, going nowhere in particular. My legs carried me like they knew where they were going. Turn after turn, doorway after doorway. Then I stopped. There was a vague murmur in the next hall. I peeked around the corner expecting to see Peeves or one of the house ghosts, but instead I saw a figure. I didn't recognize them at first but then I saw the gleam of blonde hair, I knew automatically it was Draco. I took a step around the corner and automatically darted back. That girl, Flora, was walking from the other end of the corridor towards Draco.

I knew I should turn around and go back to bed, or at least not stay here and eavesdrop. But my legs wouldn't move. I pressed myself against the wall and listened.

"What took you so long?" It was Draco who had spoken.

"You know some of us have things to do that don't involve meeting people in secret." Flora sounded just as sarcastic as Draco usually did when he spoke to Potter.

"Flora…" Draco purred. I peeked around the corner in time to see Draco start to lean close to her.

I couldn't watch. My legs came to life again and I ran.

I ran and ran and ran. I didn't know where I was going but as long as it was away from the scene in the hallway I didn't care. My legs started to ache and I finally stopped, falling to the floor. I couldn't tell where I was but I didn't care either. I took deep breaths trying to fight back the urge to puke. I couldn't, I heaved up everything in my stomach.

I don't know how long I sat on the floor but finally I stood and steadied myself on the wall. No more being weak. Draco was with Flora. So what? I didn't have to feel indebted to him now. I made my way through corridor after corridor and finally found the Gryffindor portrait hole. I climbed through clumsily and snuck into my dorm. The other three girls were asleep and I was grateful for that. I fell into bed and prayed I wouldn't dream.

But I did. I dreamt of roses and daisies and other flowers falling into a path for me to follow. They lead me around corners and through rooms I had never been in or seen. All the hallways and rooms were dimly lit, other than one. It was the last room the flowers lead me too. In the room there was a bright light focused on the middle, there was a person lying in a heap on the floor. My heart sped up as I approached the lifeless body. With a shaking hand, I gently turned the person over so I could see their face. A scream caught in my throat, Draco's face was beaten and bloody. His flesh was ripped and there was a long cut going from his left temple to the right side of his lip, pulling his mouth down in a half frown. The flowers were still falling.

I sat bolt upright, screaming and crying. I had woken the girls up from my night terror and they were all looking at me scared and worried. These people who had never taken any notice to me looked worried. I fell back onto my bed and sobs overtook me. Katie came and sat on my bed and patted my arm.

"Are you alright Lorelei?"

I couldn't even speak, I just kept crying. Katie seemed to understand and she pulled me up and into a hug. I clung to her and cried into her shoulder. She let me, she didn't push me away, instead she tightened her grip on me. "It'll be okay, shhhh." She had a thick New Orleans kind of accent. I had never known she had an accent, or that she was from America. Katie kept cooing and shhh-ing and at some point I fell asleep in her arms.


End file.
